I bid farewell to Shiraz - Iran

Part of the tile-work at Syed Amir Ahmed shrine

Prejudices, it is well known, are most difficult to eradicate

from the heart whose soil has never been loosened or 

fertilized by education; they grow there, firm as weeds among stones. 

-Charlotte Bronte-

Many people failed to see the fact that there's always another way of doing things, another side of a story, another side of the arguments or other opinions, different from their own. Hence, pre-judgement or judgement is made in ignorance.

When I visited Syed Amir Ahmed shrine (the brother of Imam Reza) in Shiraz, the pure intention was to visit the tomb of a religious man and I had no other ulterior motive. At the entrance of the shrine all our cameras and bags were taken and we were given a wide piece of cador to cover ourselves completely from head to toe. It seemed that what we were wearing wasn't enough to qualify us to enter the shrine. As we entered the main hall of the shrine I was utterly surprised by the beauty of the shrine,  the grandness and the glittering cut glasses on the ceiling.

Beautiful tile-work

A lady approached us and spoke in Persian. Maryam who was sitting next to us translated the lady's question. In an unfriendly tone she questioned our presence there, "What motivate you people to be here?" Through Maryam, I sincerely told her that my intention was just to visit the shrine of a learned man and that's about it. She continued talking to Maryam and for the next few minutes the lady was staring at us constantly and Maryam who felt uncomforatble about the situation requested that we leave. I left the shrine with a strange feeling of not understanding her predicament. 

Shiraz public library

By noon the sun was blazing and we thought it was best to return to the hotel and get some rest. Late afternoon, we visited the University of Shiraz and Eram garden. Again another event happened in University of Shiraz when the security chased us and stopped us from taking pictures around the university. Perhaps the fragility and the broken relationship with other countries has resulted in this situation. We stop taking pictures and proceed to Eram Garden and of course I'm legally allowed to take pictures of flowers there!

After we bade farewell to Maryam, we took a cab to the airport to catch our flight to Isfahan. At the security check, again my camera was taken for close scrutiny and the battery was removed. The lady officer was asking me, what was it and I explained that my camera's battery is slightly big. They asked me to install the battery and showed them the pictures that I have taken. Luckily, I have not taken any pictures of government buildings. Satisfied, my camera and I was released. Glad we were done with the airport security. What an eventful day we had in Shiraz!

Shiraz from the university's hill top

After this photo we were chased by the security and instructed not to take pictures

The old Quran Gate

Entrance to the shrine

A round about in the center of Shiraz

Street in Shiraz

Kids at Rahulloh bazaar

Traffic in front of the bazaar

Shiraz airport

Syed Amir Ahmed's shrine from the entrance

Lunch at Maison Berber - Telouet, High Atlas, Morocco

Fruits and Chicken Couscous for lunch

I love Moroccan food especially their unique technique of slow cooking in the tagine - conical shaped pot. After the visit to Pasha El Galoui in Telouet, we were very hungry. Our guide had arranged for lunch at Maison Beber - a village restaurant in the High Atlas region. Maison Berber is actually the home of a Berber family who is the friend of Ahmed and Mustafa, our guide. The restaurants is in the middle of remote land with few houses around it and a small village which was visible from a distance. I think it caters only for tourists who happened to pass this area and they are usually taken here by their guides. The great relief was that we were also given the space for prayers before we continued our journey further.

We were seated comfortably in the living hall of the house and there were a few other tourist having lunch. The restaurant is on the upper level of a house and the ground floor is a carpet shop. The food was delicious and the ambiance of the restaurant was very cozy. It really felt like we were having lunch in the comfort of a home. After the delicious lunch, we were ushered to the carpet shop on the ground floor but there was no pressure that we had to buy anything there. In fact we did not buy anything from the store.

The lunch was much more fun than the carpets. Morocco is famous for its couscous and the fruits and chicken couscous served was full of flavor. After almost a week in Morocco, that was our first Cous-Cous meal...simple but yet delicious!

Delicious fresh salad - sprinkled with a dash of cumin powder

We were hungry!

The hand written bill for 4 people was 280 Dirham (25 Euro)

Mud houses near Maison Berber

A village near the restaurant

A journey to the heart - Mecca, Saudi Arabia

Performing the Tawaf after Terawih

Clock Tower in Mecca

Performing umrah (small pilgrimage) in the month of Ramdhan is a real test of endurance and perseverance. The intensity of the ritual is compounded by fasting in this month of Summer. The temperature on some days can be as high as 50 degrees Celsius or more and the glaring sunlight can be challenging for many. In the sea of people, every movement becomes difficult and at times one can become breathless during tawaf. 

But again, every soul's journey and experience is unique and indescribable. With lots of d'ua and patience, even the most difficult moment will gradually become easy by the mercy of Al Mighty. Regardless of all the challenges, this journey remains to be an overwhelming experience, closest to my heart. It was rumored that about 5 millions Muslims performed their umrah this Ramadhan. And approaching the last ten nights of the holy month, every space in Mecca is filled with people mostly clad in white ihram and woman in black. 

 I once heard of this nasihah (advice), “Pack a bag of clothes and nine bags of sabr (patience, endurance and perseverance). There is so much truth in the advice! But I have to admit, it is not easy, especially when some forceful characters appear out of nowhere and start telling you, this is haram and that is haram. It really feels like you are just embracing Islam a few minutes ago! The word haram (impermissible) resonates almost everywhere and everyday.

As I observed, the whole ritual of Umrah and Hajj in Mecca is not about spiritual in isolation. But the beauty is about connecting to other Muslims from various part of the world; to know them, to understand the divergence, to tolerate and to compromise the differences. And, along the way I met several Muslims from other countries who gave me several advices and lessons to be learnt. And that’s the beauty of being Muslim.

The interior of Masjidil Haram

Zam-Zam Tower opposite Masjidil Haram

Taking a rest...while waiting for Tahajud prayers

The jenazah prayer outside Masjidil Haram

After Terawih everybody is moving out of the mosque

Everybody is taking a break after Terawih

Masjidil Haram with its modern backdrop in the early morning after fajar

After Ramadhan, the carpets are rolled for cleaning

Masjidil Haram is currently under massive construction work

Hilton Mecca

The girls are posing on the night of Eid

Decorating the girls' hair on Eid

Kausar from Algeria

Traditional cookies from Malaysia on Eid

Chocolate Chips from Malaysia

The body of deceased carried for burial after the prayers

Najla from Algeria has always been cooperative while her mother prays

The shopping complex and restaurants right in front of the Haram

Minarets of Masjidil Haram

Clock Tower at night

The night of Eid

Burger King...KFC

Walking through the streets of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Pretty little shops lined the streets of the old town

Lubljana is a pleasant city to wander around. Because it is not very big, you can take your own sweet time to explore the place just on foot. The old town is full of pretty small shops, cute cafe and restaurants. When you're tired of walking, just sit by one of the many cafes to have a cup of coffee. There is nothing really so grand about Ljubljana but it is relaxing to hang around. It will never stress you. The cleanliness of the old town makes quite an impression.